Erteszek



Jan. 31, 1956 o. ERTESZEK GIRDLE Filed March 7, 1955 Oz. 6/! E ena-525%,

INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY:

United States Patent GIRDLE Olga Erteszek, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 7, 1955, Serial No. 492,414

6 Claims. (Cl. 2-37) This invention has to do with womens foundationgarments, and is directed particularly to improvements in girdles,either of the simple girdle or panty girdle forms.

The invention has for its general purpose to provide a novel girdleconstruction having the principal advantages of greater freedom to thewearer, especially at the front waist line, combined with more effectivecenter or abdominal support and confinement to the desired shape. Inaccomplishing this purpose, I employ combinations of relatively elasticand less elastic materials arranged in center panel and side sections,all in a unique relation which in conjunction with a particular fronttop or waist shape of the garment tends to give a highly effective andyet free and comfortable support to the abdomen.

As will appear, the present garment is characterized by shaping thefront upper edge to extend downwardly and inwardly toward the center, ina wide V-pattern, for the dual purpose of lending freedom at the waistand giving angular extent to the upper side sections of the garmentinclining to the center panel. The front of the garment is occupied by acenter panel shaped preferably to have downwardly and outwardly inclinedtop edges and longer downwardly and inwardly inclined side edgesextending to near the bottom of the garment. The front panel has acharacteristic of relative rigidity in that while it may be elasticallystretchable vertically, it is non-elastic horizontally and therefore isrelatively resistant to stretch, or has little stretch in thatdirection. Lower side sections, elastic horizontally and vertically, aresewed to the lower side edges of the center panel. The advantageoussupporting features of the garment are contributed largely by theprovision of upper side sections, adjacent the waist line, which aresewed to the lower side sections and to the outwardly inclined upperedges of the center panel. These upper side sections are made elastic ina direction of stretch and pull generally paralleling the inclined waistedge, and thus when the garment is worn, exert an upward and outwardpull on the center panel tending very effectively to press it againstand confine the abdomen to the predetermined shape of the garment.

The various features and objects of the invention will be understoodmore clearly and fully from the following detailed description of anillustrative embodiment shown by the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view showing the front of a panty girdle, as worn, embodyingthe invention and illustrating the structural and functionalrelationship of the panel and sections referred to hereinabove; and

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the girdle. v

The garment structure is shown to include a front panel made of a fabrichaving elastic threads running vertically so that the panel hasstretchability and elasticity in a vertical direction. However, thepanel material does not have corresponding elastic threads runningtransversely or horizontally, and consequently the panel has littlestretchability in that direction. The lower side edges 11 of the paneland which extend preferably the greater portion of its length, convergedownwardly to the crotch which, in the case of a panty girdle, is formedby a freely flexible light-weight fabric 12. The upper side edges 13 ofthe panel have opposite angularity and are convergent to the waist lineor edge 14.

The side edges 11 of the front panel are sewed at 15 to lower sidesections 16 of the garment, the latter being made of a fabric havingelastic threads running both horizontally and vertically so that thematerial is elastically stretchable in both of these directions.Although the invention is not primarily concerned with the constructionof the rear of the garment as shown in Fig. 2, the latter is included toillustrate a typical rear construction which may consist of sections 17having both horizontal and vertical stretchability and to which thefront side sections 16 are sewed along the seam lines 18, and avertically stretchable center panel 1? sewed to section 17 at 20.

Referring again to Fig. 1, the garment includes a pair of upper frontside sections 21 sewed respectively at 22 and 23 to the top front paneledges 13 and the top edges of the side sections 16. At the rear sides ofthe garment, sections 21 may be sewed at 24- to section 17. The upperside sections 21 contain elastic threads running generally in thedirection of the waist line 14, either in parallelism therewith or inabout parallelism with the horizontal elastic threads in the sidesections 16. Ordinarily it will be preferred to give the upper sidesections 21 vertical stretchability and elasticity by forming them offabric containing elastic threads which extend generally vertically ofthe garment.

It is to be particularly noted that the top edgeof the center panel 10and the sections 21 are so shaped as to give the waist edge 14 downwardconvergence to the center of the front panel in the form of a definitebut rather wide V. By so shaping the garment at the waist line, thewearer is given very considerable freedom and comfort by reason of thelack of confinement above the center panel 10, and yet the latterretains SUfi'lClfiIli vertical extent to support the abdomen and incooperation with the rest of the garment, conform the body to its shape.Particularly effective support is given the front panel and the bodyarea effected thereby, by reason not only of the laterally appliedforces transmitted by stretching the side sections 16, but particularlybecause of the outwardly elevating forces transmitted upon stretching ofthe upper side sections 21. In being attached to the outwardly inclinedfront panel edges 22, and having elasticity generally in the directionof the downwardly convergent waist line, these side sections tend whenstretched, to exert upward and outward pull on the front panel, thusapplying thereto elevating and body-shaping forces in a manner mosteffective for conformance with the shape characteristics of the garment.

Thus by virtue of the combined features of the V- shape given thewaistline and the outwardly elevating effects of the sections 21 inrelation to the center panel 10, it is made possible to achieve bothfreedom from confinement at the front waist line of the garment andcomplete support therebelow.

it is to be further observed that the materials are folded under asindicated at 25, to double thickness at the waist line. The resultingseam thus has greater resistance to stretching, and extending in thedirection of the wide waist line, the added resistance is imposed indirectional similarity, thus increasing the tension effect transmittedto the center panel 10 at its upper, outwardly inclined edges.

I claim:

1. A girdle having a front downwardly and inwardly sloping wide V waistedge lending freedom to the wearer at the front waist, a front centerpanel defined along its opposite sides by first edges which extenddownwardly and outwardly from near the central portion of said waistedge, and by second edges which extend downwardly and inwardly from thelower extremities of said first edges, lower side sections for embracingthe hips of the wearer and sewed to said second edges of the centerpanel, said lower side sections being formed of fabric having bothhorizontal and vertical elasticity and said center panel havingrelatively limited horizontal elasticity, and top side panels ofrelatively narrow vertical extent sewed to said first edges of thecenter panel and to the top edges of said lower side sections, said topside panels extending upwardly and outwardly from said center panel andalong said sloping wide V waist edge and having elasticity in thedirection of said waist edge tending when worn and stretched to exert anupward and outward pull on said first edges of the center panel, saidtop side panels being sewed to said top edges of the lower side sectionsalong seams which incline progressively upwardly and outwardly in thedirection of said wide V waist edge and which meet said first and secondedges of the center panel at said lower extremities of said first edges.

2. A girdle as recited in claim 1, in which said center panel is formedof a single piece of material extending across the entire area thereofand containing only vertical elastic threads, each of said top sidepanels being formed of a single piece of elastic material sewed to boththe center panel and the corresponding lower side section.

3. A girdle having a front downwardly and inwardly sloping wide V waistedge lending freedom to the wearer at the front waist, a front centerpanel defined along its opposite sides by first edges which extenddownwardly and outwardly from near the central portion of said Waistedge, and by second edges which extend downwardly and inwardly from thelower extremities of said first edges,

lower side sections for embracing the hips of the wearer and sewed tosaid second edges of the center panel, said lower side sections beingformed of fabric having both horizontal and vertical elasticity and saidcenter panel having relatively limited horizontal elasticity, and topside panels of relatively narrow vertical extent sewed to said firstedges of the center panel and to the top edges of said lower sidesections, said top side panels extending upwardly and outwardly fromsaid center panel and along said sloping wide V waist edge and havingelasticity in the direction of said waist edge tending when worn andstretched to exert an upward and outward pull on the center panel.

4. A girdle as defined in claim 3, in which said center panel containselastic threads running vertically only.

5. A girdle as defined in claim 3, in which said top side panels containelastic threads inclined progressively upwardly and outwardly from thecenter panel in the stretched condition of the girdle when worn.

6. A girdle as defined in claim 3, in which said top side panels containelastic threads inclined progressively upwardly and outwardly from thecenter panel in the stretched condition of the girdle when worn, andsaid center panel contains elastic threads running vertically only.

References Cited in the file or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,466,545 Hessel Apr. 5, 1949 2,563,308 Chase et al. Aug. 7, 19512,654,890 Trope et a1 Oct. 13, 1953 2,705,801 Chubby Apr. 12, 1955FOREIGN PATENTS 603,502 France Ian. 9, 1926

